Phil Bailey

Christ, Family, Friends... Bears, Dodgers, Hoosiers, Pacers, Dad to Haiden, Harper, Hadley and Haislyn.

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

I just went 82-0, think you can go 82-0? https://t.co/rYDP86QPyv #NBA #82and0

[Dr Peddy @pinkfolkrsoft]

@PacersKev @KeithSmithNBA Just rebuilt the clippers franchise for a middle of the road center

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

@Pacers I hope nobody goes to a game until you get serious about being a championship contender! As fun as last years run was it was a fluke.

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

What a waste @pacers!! Dumb!!

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

Stupid @Pacers you finally had a chance for a generational talent and you traded it for a slight above average center. Boo!! Continue to just be good enough to not win it and not bad enough to get a top talent! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! 🤯🤯😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

Amen!! Adults taking advantage of kids for money is the problem!

[Tony Adragna @CoachAdragna]

I think we’ve lost the plot on youth basketball. It’s probably happening in other sports too, but basketball is the world I know.

Growing up, basketball was the neighborhood game. All you needed was a ball and a hoop. It was simple, accessible, and we’d play for hours without thinking twice about it.

I’d call myself a pretty good high school player. I started on a solid team and loved competing.

AAU wasn’t really part of the equation back then. I played in a few tournaments with friends, but everyone understood what it was. If you were elite, you played for Indiana Elite or Spiece. If you weren’t, you just kept hooping where you were. There wasn’t this pressure that you had to be in it.

Now it feels like the entire model has flipped. Kids from kindergarten through high school are paying thousands just to be on a team. And if you want to play, there’s always a team ready for you because there’s money to be made.

But it doesn’t stop there. Parents are paying $60/head every weekend just to watch. Some places are charging for parking. Tournaments are partnering with hotels and requiring teams to stay there just to participate. Then you show up and games are running an hour behind, officials are barely engaged, and someone’s parent is losing their mind over playing time.

Somewhere along the way, the focus shifted.

This isn’t about saying AAU is all bad. There are real positives. Kids get exposed to different competition, build friendships, and experience things they wouldn’t otherwise.

But it’s hard to ignore what it’s becoming.

For a lot of kids, this isn’t building a love for the game. It’s turning it into a transaction. A schedule. A bill.

And that’s the part that feels off.

It would just be nice if the kids were back at the center of it all.

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

@zachbaker74 My dad was there. That was his senior year of high school. We still have the program and some things from the game at home.

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

@AustinRender @IndianaWBB @BloomingtonB97 Is an NIT invite possible?

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

@shay_ciezki thanks for being a great role model!

[Phil Bailey @pbailey_24]

@JohnRHarrell Forcing all kids to play year round is killing all sports!

[Ben Skowronek @BennySkow]

Retweets = Votes

#ProBowlVote Ben Skowronek
#ProBowlVote @BennySkow

[Pittsburgh Steelers @steelers]

RP to #ProBowlVote for the specialists‼️

Chris Boswell
Corliss Waitman
@ckuntz24
@BennySkow
Ke’Shawn Williams

[Pittsburgh Steelers @steelers]

RP to #ProBowlVote @BennySkow for the chance to win this signed jersey!

[Pittsburgh Steelers @steelers]

1️⃣ RP = 2️⃣ votes! #ProBowlVote

@pat_fry5
@CalvinAustinIII
@_Dwfootball11
@Nunless2
@ConnorHeyward1
@BennySkow
Ke’Shawn Williams

[Ben Skowronek @BennySkow]

Giving away this shirt to a random person who retweets.

#ProBowlVote Ben Skowronek
#ProBowlVote @BennySkow

[Pittsburgh Steelers @steelers]

.@BennySkow pins them at the 2 🙌 #ProBowlVote

📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/szceXBjRdr

[Windy City Sports Cards @312SportsCards1]

🚨 DOUBLE VOTES TODAY 🚨
#ProBowlVote counts 2x - let’s flood the ballots, Chicago 🐻⬇️ #DaBears 

Caleb Williams
D’Andre Swift
Rome Odunze
Luther Burden
Colston Loveland
Joe Thuney
Drew Dalman
Jonah Jackson
Darnell Wright
Kyle Monangai

[Chicago Bears @ChicagoBears]

Votes count as double today & tomorrow ‼️

RT to #ProBowlVote:
@C@CALEBcsw @DAndreSwift @idjmoore @RomeOdunze @lutherburden3 Olamide Zaccheaus @colstonlovelan1 @ColeKmet @theobenedet71 @darnellwright @JosephThuney @jonahjackson73 Drew Dalman @_sweat9 @austinbookerr @GradyJarrett @GervonDexter @BillingsAndrew @maine_savage23 @TJEdwards8 @dreamchaserTy10 @nahwrig @NickMcCloud4_ @JaquanBrisker @KevinByard @cairosantos19 Tory Taylor @sdaly61 @Dev_Duv5 @josh_blackwell

[Quanny B. @JaquanBrisker]

Hit the Retweet button please!! 🙏🏽 Help me get to my First ProBowl! 🏹🏹 #ProBowlVote  Jaquan Brisker #DaBears  #WeAre @JaquanBrisker

[Chicago Bears @ChicagoBears]

🗣️ Keep the votes coming!

RT to #ProBowlVote @KevinByard @JosephThuney Drew Dalman @nahwrig @jonahjackson73 @sdaly61 @josh_blackwell @Dev_Duv5 @darnellwright @_sweat9 @CALEBcsw @colstonlovelan1 @DAndreSwift @JaquanBrisker Tory Taylor